The Love Locker
by FireLass
Summary: One-Shot fluff: Ron and Hermione are trapped in the Great Hall overnight. Will they express their true feelings? And what does an invention of Fred and George's have to do with this? And what exactly is Harry up to?


Disclaimer: You know the drill.  
  
        "Why do you always have to start a row with me, Ronald?" A frustrated Hermione screamed.  
  
        "I don't always start fights, you do!" Ron yelled back.  
  
        "No you do! You always have to bring up Viktor, or argue about homework, or something!" Hermione pointed out rather loudly.  
  
        "You forgot Crookshanks." Ron stated stupidly.  
  
        "There you go again!" Hermione ranted.  
  
        Harry Potter had been listening to his best friends; Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger bicker like this, for almost five years. 'They should be married, the way they argue.' He thought as he watched them go at it again. The three of them were now the only people left in the Great Hall this evening, as it was very late, and most of the occupants of the Hogwarts castle had gone to bed. Harry excused himself, though with their heated argument, neither Ron nor Hermione noticed he'd left.  
  
Harry stood outside the doors to the Great Hall, staring at the small, red ball in his right hand, which was now emitting bright pink sparks. He remembered when he had gotten it from Fred and George, and what they had told him.  
  


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        "It'll lock the room!" George had said excitedly, "So that no one can get out!"  
  
        "Or in!" Fred added.  
  
        "By any means." They said in unison.  
  
        "Unless...?" Harry began for them, knowing there must be a catch somewhere.  
  
        "They kiss!" The twins said together.  
  


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        When Ron's brothers had given this thing to Harry, a Love Locker they called it, he never thought he'd use it, especially not on his two best friends. He decided he had no choice; he needed to make them realize their feelings. Harry opened the door to the great hall and put the Love Locker inside. He pointed his wand at it from in the hallway and whispered, "Activate." Pink smoke, which vanished as quickly as it came, was emitted before the doors slammed, shutting Harry out. He pulled on the handle, but couldn't get in. 'Perfect,' he thought, and headed back to Gryffindor Tower.  
  


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        "Let's just go, Ron, I'm sick of this, I can't even look at you right now!" Hermione snapped.  
  
        "Same goes for me!" Ron barked. "Well, go on then, leave!" He said sounding very irritated as Hermione just stood at the door.  
  
        "It won't open!" She said bitingly.  
  
"Oh, move OVER!" Ron said, shoving her out of the way.  
  
        "Ouch! You hurt me, Ronald!" Hermione shouted as Ron tried, unsuccessfully, to open the door. "Ron! I said you hurt me! Apologize!" Hermione said forcefully.  
  
        "What for? You never apologize for bossing me around!" Ron yelled.  
  
        "Okay! Look, if we're going to figure out a way out we need to get along!" Hermione said exasperatedly.  
  
        "Fine, I'm sorry I shoved you." Ron said somewhat coldly.  
  
        "Well, then I'm sorry if I'm bossy occasionally." Ron glared at her. "Okay, all the time, I'm sorry," she pleaded.  
  
        "Apology accepted. We could apparate." Ron suggested, as they were now of age.  
  
        "Ron, how many times do I have to tell you? No one can apparate or disapparate inside Hogwarts!" Hermione groaned.  
  
        "Harry can, I thought it was worth a try." Ron said defensively.  
  
        "He can?" Hermione asked open mouthed.  
  
        "Yes, he can!" Ron said proudly thinking he'd won.  
  
        "Well, Harry is an extremely powerful wizard." Hermione recovered.  
  
        "And I'm not?" Ron said, beginning to get outraged again.  
  
        "Well, yes, but be realistic, Dumbledore can't even do what you're talking about attempting. I don't think we should even count Harry as a normal wizard in this situation." Hermione said  
  
        "I suppose. I just get so upset, Harry can do and have everything I can't." Ron whined. "I suppose you prefer Harry over me, just like all the other girls."  
  
        "Ronald Weasley! I am not 'all the other girls' and you and Harry are both my best friends, and I don't like the implication that it is otherwise! And remember, Harry lost his parents, you've got a huge family that loves you!" Hermione raged.  
  
        "Sorry, you're right." Ron mumbled.  
  
        "Well, for once you're right as well." Hermione retorted. They both lay down on opposite ends of the Gryffindor table. They stayed silent for a long time, deep in thought.  
  
        'Well, she likes us equally, doesn't prefer Harry. That's something, I suppose. I really wish she'd prefer me though!" Ron thought.  
  
        'I should have just told him that I prefer him, that he's the only guy for me. Stupid, Hermione, stupid!' Hermione thought, cursing herself.  
  


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        Harry had gotten halfway back to Gryffindor Tower before he decided he wanted to hear what was going on. He headed back toward the Great Hall and pulled a pair of extendable ears out of his pocket. He was disappointed to find that there was silence inside the Great Hall. He sat listening for a long while before he heard anyone speak.  
  


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        "Let's transfigure one of these goblets into an owl and send it for help." Hermione suggested.  
  
        "Sounds fine to me." Ron replied. Hermione took out her wand and pointed it at a goblet on the table. She said the proper incantation, and the goblet became a tiny, spirited little owl, reminiscent of Pig. The owl flew around the room, frantically looking for an exit. It finally returned to Ron and Hermione, looking defeated.  
  
        "That worked well." Hermione said sarcastically.  
  
        "We haven't even tried Alohomora yet!" Ron said.  
  
        "Ron! You're right! How could we have been so stupid?" Hermione gasped. They both ran to the door and pointed their wands at the lock. They yelled the unlocking charm in unison. Nothing happened.  
  


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        Harry listened from the other side, beginning to get worried. He should have known this was a bad idea. He should have known even if he locked them up together, they'd be too stubborn to admit their feelings. He decided to tell them how to get out.  
  
       "Ron! Hermione!" He yelled through the door at the top of his voice. No answer. 'Oh no!' Harry thought, 'they must not be able to hear outside noise either.'  
  


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        "Do you know any stronger unlocking spell?" Ron asked Hermione.  
  
        "No, I don't." She said sadly. Ron thought hard for a minute, then came up with an idea, and his face lit up.  
  
        "What was that transportation charm? Ron asked.  
  
        "How can you not know that? We just reviewed it today! It's "transportio" but that won't work in Hogwarts either." Hermione just couldn't resist lecturing him.  
  
        "This place has too many wards." Ron groaned, slumping onto a table, lying on his back. Hermione sat down next to him.  
  
        "Well, they're only here to keep us safe from Voldemort and silly little things like that." Hermione said sarcastically. Ron chuckled, an unusual response to the name Voldemort. "What's so funny?" Hermione asked.  
  
        "Every time I hear that name I think of how Harry calls him the Dark Tosser these days." Ron said. Hermione laughed as well.  
  
        "Yes, well, Harry's done a good job of coming up with a suitable title for him." Hermione sad. This was followed by laughter, then a long, awkward silence. The silence was broken only by Hermione's yawns.  
  
        "It's getting late." She said.  
  
        "Yes, it is. This is a rather undesirable place to sleep." Ron grimaced, looking around at the wooden tables.  
  
"Yes, and I'm cursed with being a picky sleeper." Hermione said, "I can't fall asleep without a pillow."  
  
        "I can sleep anywhere, some places are just less comfortable then others." Ron said, and then hesitated before saying, "You can use me as a pillow if you like." Ron decided to take any opportunity he could get to be near Hermione.  
  
        "Thanks." Hermione said, lying down and putter her head on Ron's chest. With Hermione lying next to him, Ron had no place for his left arm, so he wrapped it around Hermione's waist. Hermione had already fallen asleep, and Ron soon followed suit.  
  


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        Harry was still listening outside. 'They might just get out of here on their own.' He thought, falling asleep as he leaned against the door with the extendable ears still in his own.  
  
        Ginny Weasley came walking down the corridor. She was looking for her boyfriend, Harry Potter, because he hadn't returned to Gryffindor tower that night, and she was worried about him. She stopped when she saw him asleep in the corridor, leaning against the door to the Great Hall. When she sat down next to him, she noticed the extendable ears. She kissed him lightly on the cheek to wake him up.  
  
        "Hey, Gin." Harry said sleepily. "What are you doing here?"  
  
        "Looking for you!" She laughed, "What are you up to?" Harry explained the whole story to Ginny. "Well, give me one of those! I want to hear!" Ginny said, pointing to the extendable ears. Harry handed her one, and she settled down resting her head on Harry's shoulder. Harry had just rested his head on Ginny's, when he heard something in the Great Hall. Ron and Hermione were awake.  
  


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        "Sleep well, Ron?" Hermione asked.  
  
        "Yes. And you?" Ron questioned.  
  
        "I did." Hermione paused before saying, "Look, I wanted to tell you earlier, I don't like you and Harry equally. I prefer you, in fact."  
  
        "I was hoping you did." Ron said as he leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. When they broke apart, they noticed the little red ball by the door, now emitting pink and purple sparks in response to the kiss.  
  
        "My brothers sell these their shop!" Ron said, and then explained to Hermione what it was.  
  
        "Harry!" They said together.  
  


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        Having heard this, Harry kissed Ginny on the forehead and said, "I need to get out of here!" He ran down the corridor, and Ginny just hid in a nearby classroom.  
  
        Ron and Hermione opened the door to the Great Hall just in time to see Harry run around the corner. Hermione sprinted after him.  
  
        "Harry James Potter! You're in big trouble!" She screeched.  
  
        "Hermione! When you catch him, be sure and thank him for me!" Ron yelled, following Hermione. He could hear Harry's laughter in the distance.  
  
        When they had all gone, Ginny stepped out into the empty corridor.  
  
        "I knew telling Fred and George to give Harry that Love Locker was a good idea." She said to herself, sounding very pleased, before following the other three back to Gryffindor tower.  
  
AN: I wrote this today when I felt like working on my main fic, Love through Centuries, but my laptop was dead. In order to write more chapters of that I needed to be able to see my other chapters, so I couldn't work on that. But, I still felt like writing, and this little one-shot came to me, which I hand wrote, you know an old pen and paper, remember those? It was seventeen pages in my notebook whew. This isn't meant to be a great piece of writing, just a little something that was fun and to keep myself sharp, but let me know what you think nonetheless, and check out my other fic, Love through Centuries (shameless plug!). 


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